Good morning! I was wondering if there is a blood test that you can get to determine your secretor status, or if you need to do the saliva test to determine your status. Please let me know if there's a blood test -- and what that test is, if it exists. Thanks SO much! Stefani

Dr. D'Adamo had this to say about differences in secretor testing: "Having done 5000 Lewis typing tests in the clinic over the last 15 years, and about 400 salivary inhibition studies, I can safely say that saliva testing is more accurate than blood. The reason being that the agglutinations that are used to determine Lewis types are very delicate (weak antibody reaction) and can easily be misinterpreted, unlike ABO which makes a big glop that you cannot miss (strong antibody). I've even seen conflicting results from two different MedPath labs, especially if the staff is not trained well enough." The subject is discussed in more depth in one of the Science Knowledge Base Entries.

However, it may be helpful to think of LDN individuals as a special category of non-secretor, since they do lack the Lewis b antigen (like the traditional ABH non-secretors). In most instances LDNs share the same metabolic consequences as ABH non-secretors, and in a few, such as cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, actually have the most severe variations.

Anywhere from 2-5% of the population are so-called 'Lewis double negatives' meaning that they do not manufacture Lewis (a) and so cannot make Lewis (b). In this category of individuals (including yourself) Lewis typing cannot be used to infer secretor status; only saliva will do.

The Lewis typing for secretor determination is a 'quick and dirty' method of secretor determination; that is the nature of the beast. So in those individuals who are double Lewis negative (a-b-) I have advised that it is best to consider them 'non-secretors,' (since they do share many of the same disease susceptibilities and metabolic disturbances of non-secretors) until saliva testing discloses otherwise.

In this ... case, the saliva testing, versus the Lewis typing, yielded the more accurate result of secretor status, but knowing he is a double Lewis negative is a valuable piece of information as well.

Lola, maybe you should have done the saliva secretor test while you were at the conference too.

Your results are making me wonder if I should have done the Lewis typing too, in addition to the MN testing I had done?

Incidentally, the NN subtype of the MNSs blood grouping system may be associated with a slight increase in longevity (especially in women) (4). This could relate to the fact that the presence of the M antigen (absent in NN blood group) increases the incidence and mortality rates of many types of cancer due to a biochemical similarity to the A and TN antigens.

yes Alia, I sure am glad to now count with these results, which intuitively had become a part of my lifestyle for many years.Who knows where I would stand had I not followed my instincts.

In 2003, at the Phoenix conference, I was about to test, out of pure curiosity, but Dr Bronner then advised me not to have them done, for I was healthy then, also.Little did we know!!! lolI had adapted the nonnie guidelines since LR came out.......

''Just follow the book, don't look for magic fixes to get you off the hook. Do the work.'' Dr.D.'98DNA mt/Haplo H; Y-chrom/J2(M172);ESTJThe harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you!

Actually, Lola doesn't really know if she is a non-secretor or not, since she has not done the saliva secretor test. However, as quoted above Dr. D advise Lewis double negatives to follow the non-secretor guidelines until they find out their secretor status.

Actually, Lola doesn't really know if she is a non-secretor or not, since she has not done the saliva secretor test. However, as quoted above Dr. D advise Lewis double negatives to follow the non-secretor guidelines until they find out their secretor status.

Oh, I thought because her shield was secretor, she'd had the saliva test done already. Thanks for clarifying.

â€śThose who say it canâ€™t be done need to get out of the way of those who are doing it.â€ť

I think LDNs should follow non-secretor guidelines, whatever the saliva secretor test shows, so the saliva test is probably not necessary. Metabolically and in most other ways, they are like non-secretors.

If a secretor has any health issues or sensitivities, they can be well served to do Lewis testing and see if changes are necessary. But a healthy LDN who is already following the non-secretor plan wouldn't change the plan based on saliva testing, so it would mainly be for curiousity. Correct me if I'm wrong, though, maybe there are a few differences in the diet...

Hi Lola- Glad you received the status you wanted, and felt you was! Is this a test I can order to find out my secretor status? What is it called? where do I buy it? Price, if known? Thanks for the answers!

Also, if I have this I don't need the regular secretor test if I am a double negative or?

Dr. D'Adamo had this to say about differences in secretor testing: "Having done 5000 Lewis typing tests in the clinic over the last 15 years, and about 400 salivary inhibition studies, I can safely say that saliva testing is more accurate than blood. The reason being that the agglutinations that are used to determine Lewis types are very delicate (weak antibody reaction) and can easily be misinterpreted, unlike ABO which makes a big glop that you cannot miss (strong antibody). I've even seen conflicting results from two different MedPath labs, especially if the staff is not trained well enough." The subject is discussed in more depth in one of the Science Knowledge Base Entries.

The NAP saliva secretor test is less expensive, less intrusive since it only requires saliva, can be done at home, and is definitive secretor test.

The Lewis blood test is available from SWCNM Medical Center Lab for $120. It requires a blood draw so you will probably have to go to a doctor's office which will require an additional cost, and if you turn out to be Lewis double negative like Lola it will not definitively tell you your secretor status. However, if you are Lewis double negative it is good to know as indicated in the quotes I posted earlier.